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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — a match
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. firm — a company
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — in biology
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cell — in a prison

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com